Tuesday, 1 June 2021

Stranger Things season 4: release date, trailer, cast and what we know so far

Stranger Things season 4 is arguably the most anticipated Netflix TV show that's currently in production. The next instalment in massive pop culture series is currently being filmed, but that hasn't stopped the cast and crew from giving us snippets of information to run the rule over.

Things have been quiet on the development front of late, so it's worth double-checking any supposed image leaks or information drops that you may see on social media. Recently, 'set photos' from season 4 made their way online, but they're actually screenshots from Stranger Things season 1. Bear this in mind if you go searching for new things yourself.

If you want to play it safe with Stranger Things 4 information, though, you've come to the right place. We've assembled everything else that's worth knowing about the action horror drama TV show, including its potential release date, new cast additions, teaser trailers and more.

A word of warning, too: we're entering spoiler territory for the first three seasons from this point on. If you're someone who isn't caught up on every season, it's time to leave this page. For the rest of you, let's press on and see what's new about Stranger Things season 4.

Stranger Things season 4 release date: 2022?

Stranger Things

(Image credit: Netflix)

The Stranger Things season 4 release date hasn't been announced yet. That isn't surprising, what with principal photography still ongoing, so we can't definitively say when it'll arrive.

However, fans have been told next to expect it to air until 2022. That's according to Finn Wolfhard, who portrays Mike Wheeler, in Stranger Things. The actor recently conducted a chat via online meet-and-greet platform Fanmio, and he was asked about when season 4 may arrive. In somewhat disappointing news, Wolfhard confirmed that fans shouldn't expect to see season 4 arrive until next year.

Check out Wolfhard's response, which was uploaded to the StrangerThingsSpoilers Twitter fan account, below:

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A week after Wolfhard's comments, Noah Schnapp also teased when season 4 may arrive. Like his fellow cast member, Schnapp was asked about its possible release date during a Fanmio chat, and he suggested that it could be out sooner than we think.

Asked if the cast had started filming again, Schnapp said that they had. He went on to reveal that principal photography should be completed "by the summer" and then "the season will be out".

Check out Schnapp's response in the tweet below:

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Of course, Schnapp's comments don't necessarily means that season 4 will arrive sometime this year. The next season will need to be edited into episodes, post-production will need to carried out to include VFX and other behind-the-scenes elements and there's always the possibility of reshoots to make each chapter flow better from a story perspective.

The duo's estimation has seemingly been backed up by Netflix, too. As part the streaming giant's Q1 2021 shareholders' letter, which was released in mid-April 2021, Stranger Things season 4 was notable absent from a list of productions that Netflix confirmed to be arriving in 2021.

The streamer revealed that TV shows including The Witcher season 2, You season 3, and Sex Education season 3 would launch later this year, but Stranger Things was nowhere to be seen. If anything, this confirms that we won't see season 4 until 2022.

Filming began back in February 2020, according to this GameSpot article, but production was shutdown soon after as the pandemic hit. Principal photography restarted in late September last year in the state of Georgia (h/t Newsweek), while other set locations have been spotted in nations including Lithuania. The country's recently decommissioned Lukiškės Prison was used for specific scenes and, if we had to guess, we'd say these relate to Hopper's Russian imprisonment (more on this below).

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There are other aspects of the series that the cast and crew do know about, however. Speaking with Vogue back in October 2020, Natalia Dyer (Nancy Wheeler) mentioned that, in terms of Stranger Things season 4, "while I can't say a lot, except that it’s going to be a while before it comes out, it will definitely be worth it. It’s going to be really big."

Season 4 won't be the final entry in the series either, even though its ending has been planned. "Season 4 won't be the end," co-creator Ross Duffer told THR, "We know what the end is, and we know when it is." We can expect at least one more season after this, then, though there has been speculation that there will be six seasons in total before the TV show is done and dusted.

Stranger Things season 4 trailer: is there one?

Yes, but it's only a teaser trailer. You can watch the 50-second long video below, which was released in February 2020, and confirmed the survival of one particularly key character in the series:

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It'll be a while yet before we see an official trailer. Once that is released, though, we'll be sure to update this hub.

Stranger Things season 4: Hopper is alive

stranger things season 4 jim hopper

(Image credit: Netflix)

Yep, as the season 4 teaser above revealed, Detective Jim Hopper survived the events of season 3's finale. His fate was unknown after he convinced Joyce Byers (Winona Ryder) to cause the Russians' machine - which opened a gate to the Upside Down - to self-destruct, despite Hopper being trapped inside.

However, fans had speculated that Hopper hadn't died in the blast. At the end of season 3, when Russian soldiers said "the American" should not be the victim fed to a captive Demogorgon in a mid-credits teaser, fans thought they knew who the soldiers were referring to. It could only be one man: Jim Hopper, and the season 4 teaser confirmed as much.

Along with the trailer above, which sheds light on where Hopper ended up after the ending of the last season, the Duffer brothers issued a statement on what's happened to the character back in February 2020. They said they were "excited to officially confirm that production on Stranger Things 4 is now underway – and even more excited to announce the return of Hopper!" 

"Although it’s not all good news for our 'American'; he is imprisoned far from home in the snowy wasteland of Kamchatka, where he will face dangers both human...and other. Meanwhile, back in the States, a new horror is beginning to surface, something long buried, something that connects everything…"

"Season 4 is shaping up to be the biggest and most frightening season yet, and we cannot wait for everyone to see more. In the meantime – pray for the American." 

We don't know much else about what Hopper will be doing as part of his imprisonment, but Harbour is still filming his parts for season 4. Recently, the actor went live on Instagram in his season 4 costume - an outfit fans already saw in the season 4 teaser trailer. While Harbour didn't give anything away, he did FaceTime Millie Bobby Brown (Eleven), and the duo briefly confirmed that they were currently filming, or had filmed, in Atlanta.

Check out the footage, which is currently available to watch on Harbour's Instagram account, below:

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Stranger Things season 4: what will the story be about?

While there isn't an official synopsis yet, we've been receiving steady trickle of new information from the series' cast and crew - and all signs point towards season 4 being even darker than its predecessors.

Joe Keery, who plays Steve Harington, has told Total Film that season 4 will be the "scariest yet", and David Harbour revealed (per Deadline) that Hopper's journey this season will be "painted in a bit of a darker palette."

We're also aware that more pictures have been coming out from the set too. These include the ones below, which show a very 80s looking trailer park, covered in what appear to be some creepy tendrils that would look at home in the Upside Down. 

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That's not all either. As we stated earlier, Gaten Matarazzo has been teasing what fans can expect from season 4 in a couple of recent interviews, and it sounds like Keery and Harbour were spot on with their darker vibe assertions.

In a March interview with Collider, Matarazzo revealed that the Duffer brothers had finished writing the script for season 4, which is a far cry from how the duo had written the first three seasons. On seasons 1-3, the Duffer brothers were still penning the final couple of episodes while filming was ongoing - a process that led to some "panic writing" on their part, according to Matarazzo. This time around, though, the Covid-19 pandemic allowed the pair to finish writing season 4 before principal photography restarted last September.

Matarazzo was also a guest on the April 7, 2021 edition of The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. During the chat, Matarazzo claimed that season 4 would be the "scariest" one yet, and that the Duffer brothers were "really going for it this year".

In a separate ET Online interview, Maya Hawke was asked about Robin's season 4 story arc. Naturally, Hawke didn't give anything away, but she did hint that the Duffer brothers "really dig into her this season", so we can expect more about Robin's backstory and her role in proceedings moving forward.

One seemingly confirmed piece of information we do have, which relates to season 4's plot, is its length. In a tweet posted by the Stranger Things writers' team - uploaded in June 2020 - it appears that there will be nine episodes in season 4, just like there was in season 2.

Check out the tweet below:

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While the image above seems to only show eight scripts, Dyer appeared to confirm that there would be nine entries in season 4 (h/t The Hollywood Reporter).

The official Stranger Things Instagram account has also revealed the title of season 4's first episode. It'll be called 'The Hellfire Club', and this will relate to one of the new characters who will be appearing in Stranger Things' next chapter:

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We're also expecting to see more of Eleven's backstory play out in Stranger Things season 4. A new teaser, which arrived on May 6, is centered around a flashback to when Eleven was one of Doctor Brenner's child test subjects at Hawkins National Laboratory.

The video also suggests that Brenner may still be alive, if the end of the teaser is anything to go by, and that we should expect another two teaser videos before season 4's eventual release.

Check out the new video below:

Finally, there are plenty of unresolved plot threads from season 3. Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) has seemingly lost her powers, while the gang has been split up with the Byers family leaving for pastures new. 

Joyce (Winona Ryder), Will (Noah Schnapp), Jonathan (Charlie Heaton) and Eleven have departed after Joyce sold her home, with the likes of Mike (Finn Wolfhard) and Nancy left to mull over long-distance relationships with Eleven and Jonathan respectively.

Max (Sadie Sink) will be dealing with the fallout from brother Billy's death, too, and that's all before we consider what Hopper's dealing with in his new surroundings. Add all of that onto the Duffer brothers' sinister chatter about a new horror rising, and season 4 will be jam-packed of threads to begin and tie up.

Stranger Things Season 4 cast: who is portraying who?

stranger things season 3

(Image credit: Netflix)

The TV show's core cast will all be reprising their roles for season 4:

  • Winona Ryder as Joyce Byers
  • David Harbour as Detective Jim Hopper
  • Millie Bobby Brown as 'Eleven'/Jane Hopper
  • Finn Wolfhard as Mike Wheeler
  • Gaten Matarazzo as Dustin Henderson
  • Caleb McLaughlin as Lucas Sinclair
  • Noah Schnapp as Will Byers
  • Natalia Dyer as Nancy Wheeler
  • Charlie Heaton as Jonathan Byers
  • Sadie Sink as Max Mayfield
  • Maya Hawke as Robin Buckley
  • Joe Keery as Steve Harington

Brett Gelman, who played conspiracy theorist Murray Bauman in seasons 2 and 3, has been bumped up to a series regular. Priah Ferguson, Matthew Modine, Joe Chrest and Cara Buono will also reprise their roles as Erica Sinclair, Matthew Brenner, Ted Wheeler and Karen Wheeler respectively.

As we mentioned above, Modine should be back as Brenner due to his presence in the latest teaser trailer. It's unclear if Brenner is still alive, or if his return will solely be based on flashbacks to Eleven's history before she met Mike and the others in season 1.

In November 2020, Variety also detailed the eight new faces we'll be seeing in Stranger Things season 4. Tyner Rushing's IMDB page has revealed she has been cast in a bit-part role, while Joel Stoffer will play another supporting character (h/t Collider):

  • Jamie Campbell Bower (Sweeney Todd) as Peter Ballard, a caring orderly at a psychiatric hospital.
  • Eduardo Franco (Booksmart) as Argyle, Jonathan's new best friend. A fun-loving stoner and pizza-delivery boy.
  • Joseph Quinn (Catherine the Great) as Eddie Munson, audacious metalhead that runs Hawkins High's D&D society, The Hellfire Club. At the centre of this season's key mystery.
  • Robert Englund (A Nightmare on Elm Street) as Victor Creel, a disturbed, intimidating man imprisoned in a psychiatric hospital for a gruesome murder in the '50s.
  • Tom Wlashicha (Game of Thrones) as Dmitri, a Russian prison guard who befriends Hopper.
  • Sherman Augustus (Virus) as Lt. Colonel Sullivan, an intelligent, no-nonsense man who believes he can stop the evil consuming Hawkins for good.
  • Mason Dye (Teen Wolf) as Jason Carver, a handsome, rich sport star, whose perfect world unravels as evil spreads.
  • Nikola Djuricko (World War Z) as Yuri, a Russian smuggler.
  • Tyner Rushing (Lovecraft Country) as Virginia Creel, a relative of Victor's.
  • Joel Stoffer (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D) as Warden Hatch.

Bower, Franco and Quinn's characters have been added as main cast members, while the others will be recurring throughout season 4.

Will Stranger Things season 4 be in 4K / HDR?

If you're interested in Stranger Things' good looks as well – as you should be – you may be wondering what video formats the next season will be filmed in.

All three seasons so far have been filmed in 4K Ultra HD resolution, meaning anyone with a 4K TV and a strong enough internet connection will be able to watch in a huge amount of detail. Seasons 2-3 are also in HDR (high dynamic range), meaning an expanded range of colors and enhanced contrast – important for a show awash with bright colors, dazzling neon, and moody skies – though again you'll need an HDR-compatible screen to make the most of it.

Netflix also uses the Dolby Vision HDR format, rather than the competing HDR10+ standard – we know this is a lot to think about with your next TV, but some only support one format over the other.

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The Umbrella Academy season 3: release date, trailer, plot, cast and more

The Umbrella Academy season 3 is currently in production in Toronto, Canada, and fans are eager to find out what's next for Netflix's adaptation of the dysfunctional Hargreeves family. 

Little is known about the next instalment in the streamer's live-action adaptation of The Umbrella Academy, but it shouldn't be long before we have some official details on it. To find out when that will be (and what it might entail), you'll need to read on.

If you want more on the latest news about The Umbrella Academy season 3, then, you've come to the right place. We're here to tell you when its expected release date is, what the comics can tease about season 3's potential plot, new cast members, when the trailer will drop and more

Fair warning to those of you who aren't caught up on the previous two seasons. We're entering spoiler territory for the first two seasons and the comics from this point on, so turn back before the image below if you don't want Netflix's quirky superhero hit ruined for you.

The Umbrella Academy season 3 release date: 2022?

The Umbrella Academy Season 3

(Image credit: Netflix)

Not any time soon. In November 2020, a tweet from The Umbrella Academy's official Twitter account revealed that filming wouldn't begin on season 3 until February. Confirmation that production would begin in Toronto, Canada, arrived in a Deadline report on the same day. It's unclear when shooting will wrap at this point - any end date will depend on potential Covid-19 factors - but the same Deadline article has alleged that filming will finish in September.

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Of course, Covid-19 could throw those plans out of the window. In an April interview with Collider, Tom Hopper - who plays Luther/Number One - revealed that season 3's production is taking longer than it should due to the pandemic. The actor revealed that the cast and crew had "shorter days" on set as a result of Covid-19 protocols, so the shoot's length would be "longer" than initially planned.

"We're not that far into it at the moment, so we've got a long way to go," Hopper said. "But it's good. The great thing is the material, the work is amazing, so every day on set is, like I say, a joy and so much fun.”

At least we know that filming is currently taking place, though. Recently leaked on set photos revealed that production was still on course and, while they don't give anything away about the plot, it looks like Luther has got himself into a spot of bother with some of the Sparrow Academy.

Check out the images, which were uploaded to the Netflix Updates Twitter account (after initially appearing on the Sean Movies Instagram page) below:

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If the September production end date is met, we could see season 3 air in early 2022. As we say, that's entirely dependent on how well principal photography goes between now and then.

Something we're hopeful of, though, is that we'll learn some new details in mid June. Netflix recently announced a week-long virtual event called Netflix Geeked, which will explore some of the streaming giant's biggest upcoming TV shows and movies.

As the below tweet reveals, The Umbrella Academy season 3 will be part of that. We'll be extremely surprised if we receive an official launch date or even a teaser trailer. 

However, we think that we'll get a new cast announcement or two, a couple of official images of the Sparrow Academy and maybe even a plot synopsis. Sure, it won't be much, but it'll tide us over for a while as filming continues.

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The Umbrella Academy season 3 trailer: is there one?

The Umbrella Academy season 3

(Image credit: Netflix)

Unsurprisingly, no. As we mentioned, filming only begun in mid-February, so teaser or official trailers won't land for many months. If our suggested Q1 2022 release date ends up being true, we might get one around the 2021 holiday season, but not before then.

The Umbrella Academy season 3: what can we expect from the plot?

The Umbrella Academy season 3

(Image credit: Netflix)

With two world-ending apocalypses already averted, there’s a good chance that preventing some kind of Armageddon will be on the agenda again. It would be a refreshing change of pace if it didn't but, considering that there's always an apocalyptic threat in the comics, expect another one in season 3.

What we do know is that The Umbrella Academy will butt heads with an eerily similar group of superpowered beings. The final scene of season 2 introduced us to The Sparrow Academy, a seemingly alternate reality group with their own set of abilities. The Sparrow Academy were introduced in the final moments of The Umbrella Academy's most recent graphic novel volume - Hotel Oblivion - so they aren't an original superhero group that's been developed for the show.

Recently, some of the show's stars - Elliot Page, Tom Hopper and Emmy Raver-Lampman - spoke about the "delightful surprises" that are coming in season 3. Naturally, the trio didn't give anything significant away, but it seems like The Sparrow Academy will have something to do with those intriguing plot teases.

Check out the cast discussing season 3 in the Netflix tweet below:

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We'll dive into how The Sparrow Academy could factor into season 3 in the comics section below but, for now, let's briefly recap the end of season 2. Having spent the first season in their native 2019 before time traveling to the 1960s in season 2, the Hargreeves now find themselves in a parallel dimension. While they’ve seemingly got over many of their issues with one another, though, their lives aren’t about to get any easier.

In this reality, Sir Reginald Hargreeves – the surrogate dad whose death begrudgingly brought the siblings back together in season 1 – is alive in this alternate universe. “I knew you’d show up eventually,” he says when the group materialize in his mansion. And it doesn’t take long for his famously cold style of parenting to come to the fore, as he reveals that the familiar-looking house “isn’t your home”. It is, in fact, the headquarters of The Sparrow Academy.

Normally, The Sparrow Academy's floating green cube member would grab Luther et al's attention (more on this in a bit). To the shock of the group, though, Ben Hargreeves - the family's deceased brother who gave his life (again) to save Diego, Allison, Klaus, and Vanya in season 2 - is revealed to be The Sparrows' vice-captain. It isn't the lovable Ben that fans are used to either. 

“Dad, who the hell are these assholes?” he asks. It's not a greeting you'd expect from Ben, so we can expect this version to be more impatient and less lovable than his predecessor.

The Umbrella Academy season 3 cast: which stars are returning?

The Umbrella Academy season 3

(Image credit: Netflix)

As you might expect, the series' seven main cast members will be back for season 3:

  • Elliot Page as Vanya Hargreeves/Number Seven
  • Tom Hopper as Luther Hargreeves/Number One
  • David Castenada as Diego Hargreeves/Number Two
  • Emmy Raver-Lampman as Allison Hargreeves/Number Three
  • Robert Sheehan as Klaus Hargreeves/Number Four
  • Aidan Gallagher as Five/Number Five
  • Justin H. Min as Ben Hargreeves/Number Six, but he'll be Number Two in The Sparrow Academy this time around

Colm Feore (Sir Reginald Hargreeves) and Ritu Arya (Lila Pitts) are also expected to return, but confirmation on that front is yet to be forthcoming. We may also see Adam Godley (Pogo the chimpanzee) and Jordan Claire Robbins (Grace Hargreeves/Mom) back as alternate-dimension forms of their Umbrella Academy counterparts but, again, we're yet to see an announcement on their returns.

Arya recently posted an Instagram video that showed her training to be a ninja for, well, something. We don't know if this is for The Umbrella Academy season 3 but, given it's in production right now and Lila's past as an assassin, it could be her practising for some action-heavy scenes.

Check out the post below:

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The Umbrella Academy season 3: who has been cast as The Sparrow Academy?

The Umbrella Academy season 3

(Image credit: Netflix)

Spoilers for The Umbrella Academy comic book volume 3: Hotel Oblivion.

This is where things get interesting. Hotel Oblivion's ending only gives us one real name and one moniker, with the latter being the group's leader aka Number One. The only other Sparrow Academy name that the comics gives us is Carla, who takes Vanya to meet the group before they rescue The Umbrella Academy from being defeated by a seemingly endless number of supervillains. 

Unfortunately, it doesn't look like Carla will feature in season 3 - unless her reveal is being held back - as Netflix has already confirmed The Sparrow Academy's cast and their names. Here is who you can expect to see as the superhero group in season 3:

  • Justin Cornwell as Marcus Hargreeves/Number One
  • Britne Oldford as Fei Hargreeves/Number Three
  • Jake Epstein as Alphonso Hargreeves/Number Four
  • Genesis Rodriguez as Sloane Hargreeves/Number Five
  • Cazzie David as Jayme Hargreeves/Number Six

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According to Netflix (as reported by IGN), The Sparrow Academy members will differ in some from their Umbrella Academy counterparts.

Marcus is said to be a born leader who is "as smart as he is strong", while Ben is a "Machiavellian tactician" who is focused on usurping Marcus as leader. Fei is a misanthrope who, despite her tough exterior, longs for friends, and Alphonso is a pizza-loving, beer-swilling humorous individual who bears physical and mental scars from years of fighting crime.

Sloane is a "romantic" who "feels a higher cosmic being" calling to her, while Jayme is a lone-wolf who enjoys giving out "fear-inducing snarls" at anyone she deems below her. We'll also be getting Christopher/Number Seven, who is the group's existential dread-inducing psykronium cube, but there's no word yet on who will be voicing this team member.

Steve Blackman, The Umbrella Academy showrunner, has also teased a storyboard image of the Sparrow Academy members on Instagram. This sketch doesn't give anything away, as you'd expect, but it's cool nonetheless.

Check out the image below:

A post shared by Steve Blackman (@steveblackmantv)

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What questions does The Umbrella Academy season 3 need to answer?

The Umbrella Academy season 3

(Image credit: Netflix)

Spoilers for The Umbrella Academy comic books and season 2 on Netflix.

Over the course of just two seasons, The Umbrella Academy has built up an intriguingly complex mythology, and that means plenty of questions to answer.

Fans of the TV series still don't know why 43 children were unexpectedly born on October 1, 1989, to mothers who weren’t pregnant when the day began. Or even what happened to most of those kids. Gerard Way's and Gabriel Bá's comics reveal how this came to be in the opening pages of volume one - Apocalypse Suite - but, in case this revelation comes to light in the show, we won't divulge it just yet.

In the comics, 13 of that number are known as The Umbrella and Sparrow Academy members. However, the show also introduced Lila as a potential 14th who we haven't seen in the graphic novels yet. That means that there are still 30 and 29 - depending on the medium of your choice - who are yet to be revealed. The problem now, of course, is that the TV series could move ahead of the comics - like Game of Thrones did - and unveil those individuals, or plot points that may come to the comics in the future. Either way, we might see more superheroes - or supervillains - emerge as part of season 3.

We also don't know why Ben doesn't recognize his siblings from the old timeline, even though Sir Reginald does. And why is he no longer a spirit? “He’s alive and not a ghost,” Min confirmed at a Cable Telecommunications Association for Marketing panel (reported by Syfy Wire). "Hopefully, if we get a season 3, you’ll get to see he has quite a different personality and appearance.”

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Then there’s questions over season 2's other big reveal. Since he removed his human mask, we now know that Sir Reginald Hargreeves is an alien. Again, the comics reveal his true identity in Apocalypse Suite's first few pages, and this one we can spoil due to the finale's revelation. In the comics, Sir Reginald is a world-renowned scientist, entrepreneur, inventor, and Olympic gold medalist. Oh, and a space alien. His true form hasn't been revealed in the graphic novels yet, but it's nailed on that the TV series will show that at this point.

Harlan, Missy's kid who is shown to have telekinetic powers at the end of season 2, is also a major mystery. If - and it's a big if - he has an alternate version in The Sparrow Academy's universe, he could end up being a friend or foe to them and The Umbrella Academy.

There's also the fact that we don't know who the villain is for season 3. With The Commission under new, friendlier leadership following The Handler's supposed death in season 2, it's unlikely that they'll be the bad guys again. How about, then, if season 3 starts introducing the comics' supervillains into its TV adaptation? It's possible that The Sparrow Academy are dealing with a threat far bigger than any that The Umbrella Academy has - you know, discounting two apocalypses - which means the Sparrows would need the latter's help.

What could that threat be? Well, any number of the superpowered bad guys in the comics. Dr. Terminal, The Perseus Corporation or even a fellow superhero like The Scientific Man would be major adversaries for the teams. Something of that ilk that would require them to eventually set their differences aside and team up would make for a pleasing season 3 plot line.

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The Boys season 3: release date, cast, plot and more

Spoilers follow for The Boys season 2 and the comic books.

The Boys season 3's production is moving along nicely ahead of its release on Amazon Prime Video. We don't know when the next instalment of the live-action superhero TV adaptation will arrive, but that won't stop us from speculating on everything to do with the R-rated superhero show.

As filming continues, we've been receiving snippets of new information, too. The latest comes by way of Jack Quaid (Hughie), who teased the possibility of hugely shocking moments to come in The Boys season 3. Jensen Ackles, who will portray Soldier Boy in season 3, also hinted that we'd get a first look at how his character looks very soon.

Below, we've assembled everything you need to know ahead of The Boys season 3 in this hub. We cover when season 3's release date may be announced, which cast members are returning (and those new additions, too), its possible plot, how many seasons it might get and more.

A word of warning before we begin: we'll be dealing with huge spoilers for The Boys seasons 1 and 2, as well as diving into the graphic novels. If you don't want any of that ruined for you, it'll be worth turning back now.

Cut to the chase

  • What is it? The third season of Amazon's hit R-rated adaptation, based on Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson’s satirical superhero comic book series.
  • Where can I watch it? As with the previous seasons, The Boys season 3 will be available exclusively on Amazon Prime Video.
  • When can I watch it? A launch date is still TBC, but don't be surprised if it doesn't arrive until 2022.

The Boys season 3 release date: 2022?

The Boys season 2

(Image credit: Amazon Prime Video)

The Boys season 3 is not only happening, but production on the next instalment begun a while back.

That's not a huge surprise, given how popular The Boys season 2 was. According to Business Insider, The Boys became the first non-Netflix series to debut on Nielsen’s list of the top streaming shows, but it's still pleasing to see that we'll be getting more adventures involving Billy Butcher and the gang soon.

Back in February, showrunner Eric Kripke revealed that principal photography on The Boys season 3 would begin on February 16. That means, at the time of writing, the next entry in the series is almost three months into production.

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With plenty of filming already in the can, it shouldn't be too much longer before production wraps on season 3. In fact, according to the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) website, season 3 is schedule to wrap in late August.

That appears to be confirmed as much by star Karl Urban, who plays Billy Butler, too. Taking to Instagram on May 17, Urban uploaded an image of himself, Jack Quaid (Hughie) and new boy Jensen Ackles (Soldier Boy), and revealed that the cast and crew are halfway through production on season 3.

If we take Kripke's earlier comments about a February start date into account, that means that principal photography on season 3 will last six months. That means that The Boys season 3 is, as IATSE revealed, on track to finish in August.

Check out Urban's post below:

A post shared by Karl Urban (@karlurban)

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Even if that's the case, though, we shouldn't expect The Boys season 3 to arrive any time this year. There will be lots of post-production to carry out, editing every episode so that they flow naturally, potential reshoots if the Covid-19 pandemic gets in the way and other possible TV show production issues.

If we had to guess, we'd say that The Boys season 3 will get a teaser trailer before the end of 2021, with an official release coming early in 2022. We hope it's earlier than that, mind you.

The Boys season 3 trailer: is there one?

the boys

(Image credit: Amazon)

Not yet. That's expected, however, with the series still in production. Once we get one, we'll update this section.

The Boys season 3 cast: who's returning and who's new?

the boys season 2

(Image credit: Amazon)

There will be plenty of returning fan favorites for season 3, with the below list confirming which stars are set to return:

  • Karl Urban as William 'Billy' Butcher
  • Jack Quaid as Hugh 'Hughie' Campbell Jr.
  • Antony Starr as John/Homelander
  • Erin Moriarty as Annie January/Starlight
  • Dominique McElligott as Maggie Shaw/Queen Maeve
  • Jessie T. Usher as Reggie Franklin/A-Train
  • Chase Crawford as Kevin Moskowitz/The Deep
  • Laz Alonso as Mother's Milk
  • Tomer Capon as Frenchie
  • Karan Fukuhara as Kimiko Miyashiro/The Female
  • Nathan Mitchell as Black Noir
  • Colby Minifie as Ashley Barrett
  • Claudia Doumit as Victoria 'Vic' Neuman

The Boys season 3 should also see the return of other supporting cast members, but there's no word on whether they'll appear yet. That list could include Laila Robins as ex-CIA Deputy Director Grace Mallory, Cameron Crovetti as Homelander and Becca's son Ryan Butcher and Giancarlo Esposito as Vought CEO Stan Edgar.

As for new cast members, we already know of one major announcement. Supernatural's Jensen Ackles has been brought on board to portray Soldier Boy, the first ever Vought produced superhero. Kripe and Ackles recently posted an image of the actor arriving at his trailer for The Boys season 3, though he'll have to shave off that beard to play the clean shaven Soldier Boy:

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We dive into what Soldier Boy's arrival could mean for season 3 in the next section. For now, though, just know that his appearance could have big repercussions for the TV series moving forward.

In addition to Ackles' Soldier Boy, Katia Winter (Blood & Treasure) has been apparently been cast as Little Nina, according to Deadline. In the graphic novels, Little Nina is a Russian mob boss who has a penchant for sex toys, so expect more in the way of R-rated content in season 3.

We don't know how Soldier Boy will look in The Boys season 3 yet either, but it appears we won't have long to wait. Ackles took to Twitter ahead of Memorial Day weekend to reveal that an official first look at his character would be "coming soon":

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The Boys season 3 plot: what can we expect from the story?

The Boys

(Image credit: Amazon)

Spoilers follow for The Boys season 2 and the graphic novels.

While season 2 wrapped up plenty of its plot threads, there are still some answers that we need addressing.

One of the biggest concerns Stormfront (Aya Cash), who was severely injured by Ryan Butcher's lazer eye attack in the season 2 finale. The only thing we have to go on, so far, is that Vought boss Stan Edgars says she's "in a secure location". It seems, then, that she could have a role to play in the series moving forward. Whether that's as part of The Boys season 3, however, remains to be seen.

Stormfront’s diminished state means that there‘s a vacancy to join Homelander in the 'Big Bad' department. Now that she’s been outed as the Supe who explodes heads - as seen in the final scene of season 2 - the smart money would have to be on Congresswoman Victoria Neuman.

Of course, that means things could get bad for Hughie. As we saw in the season 2 finale, The Boys have temporarily disbanded, and Hughie has gone off to work for Neuman. We don't know how long it'll be before Hughie cottons onto the fact that his new boss is as bad as, say Homelander, or what Neuman's master plan is. Expect it to be the base on which season 3's plot is built though.

Speaking of Homelander, it appears that The Boys' satirical spin on Superman is going to go off the rails in season 3. Last seen standing on one of the city's tallest buildings and, well, pleasuring himself, Homelander has a maniacal look in his eye. That "I can do whatever the f**k I want!" line he repeats, too, is proof that he's ready to get back at those who betrayed him in season 2. If we were Queen Maeve, Starlight and The Boys, we'd be watching our backs.

Homelander won't be the only Supe who is ready to bring the hurt in season 3, either. Ackles' Soldier Boy is primed to throw the proverbial cat among the pigeons, and his graphic novel backstory hints at some really mature content that's likely to appear in the TV adaptation.

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In the comics, there are two versions of Soldier Boy, and it appears that the TV series has settled on introducing the former. The first generation Soldier Boy is a Supe who becomes a US icon during World War II - think of him as The Boys' version of Captain America - but his backstory isn't as honorable as the general public are led to believe.

As it happens, Soldier Boy ends up killing his fellow Supes, as well as US soldiers, during a mission. Lieutenant Greg Mallory, whose gender was changed for the TV series, winds up killing Soldier Boy for his behaviour in the comics. However, given that this Soldier Boy is alive and well in the TV universe, his backstory and character arc will need to be altered.

The arrival of Soldier Boy also ushers in the the introduction of another superhero group, too - Payback. Dubbed the "second most popular superhero team" behind The Seven, Payback are the team led by the second iteration of Soldier Boy. In the comics, Stormfront is also a member of this unit, so her live-action counterpart already has ties to the TV show's version of Soldier Boy.

Additionally, season 3's first episode it titled 'Payback'. This might be a subtle tease about how Homelander plans to exact revenge on those who turned on him by the end of season 2, but it's much more likely to hint at Payback's arrival. If it does, we could get a flashback episode introduces Soldier Boy, his World War II actions and what he's up to in the present day. That would lead nicely into season 3's main plot, and also act as a novel way to open The Boys' next instalment.

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Regardless of how Soldier Boy is brought into the fold, we do know that his appearance will lead to the inclusion of one of the graphic novels' most shocking plot threads - Herogasm. Without delving too deep into spoiler territory for the comics, Herogasm is a storyline that sees all of Vought's superheroes travel to a remote tropical island to engage in a massive, secret company-organized orgy.

At the time of the graphic novels' publication, Herogasm was considered to be the most controversial moment in the entire series. It contains one particular scene involving Homelander and Soldier Boy having sex, but The Boys season 3 won't include this particular sequence, as Kripke confirmed during a Q&A last October:

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While there will be plenty of risqué moments in The Boys season 3, there will also be plenty of blood, gore and violence. Speaking to Collider about the show's production, Alonso revealed that the upcoming season would be the bloodiest yet.

"I'll put it to you this way," he said when asked about season 3's level of violence. "I was talking to the head makeup artist and she's in charge of ordering the blood — that's one of her many jobs. She told me that all of Season 2... When you talk about bulk, I don't think they used over a gallon of blood in Season 2, believe it or not. Season 3, we're already at three and a half gallons of blood. So that should give you a little indication of where it's going."

Alonso's comments were partly backed up by Quaid, too. Speaking to Inverse, Quaid teased the prospect that "no one is okay" when season 3's story kicks into gear, so we better start preparing ourselves for the worst now.

There are other less important story threads that need some form of resolution in season 3. For one, Compound V - the substance used to give people their Supe powers - isn't being released to the general public anymore. It'll be interesting to see if this is the first and last time that it'll be offered out to the wider population, or if it'll still fall into the wrong hands and lead to the emergence of new supervillains.

Additionally, there's bound to be more infighting among The Seven's members. As the season 2 finale revealed, A-Train and Starlight have been readmitted to the team, but The Deep hasn't. The last time we saw The Deep, he stormed out of the Church of the Collective's headquarters after A-Train was selected for reinstatement over him, so he'll have an axe to grind over that. 

Furthermore, Homelander is still on that team, so no doubt he'll be gunning for Starlight, too. Add in the fact that Black Noir is in a vegetative state after he suffered a peanut allergy in season 2, and Queen Maeve's presence in The Seven, and things could get ugly very fast.

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Finally, we should find out more about a couple of other superpowered beings. First, there's Cindy. She's the telekinetic individual who broke out of the Sage Grove testing facility, and was last seen hitchhiking towards an unknown destination. She seems to be traveling down the 'supervillain' path, so she might end up having a more prominent role in The Boys season 3.

Next, we have the aptly named Love Sausage - yes, the guy with the abnormally long penis who attempts to strangle Mother's Milk at the testing facility. Kripke has teased that Love Sausage may appear in season 3, but we'll have to wait and see what capacity he shows up in.

The Boys season 3: how many seasons will there be?

The Boys

(Image credit: Amazon)

Kripke has revealed that he has planned for five seasons of The Boys. However, the series' showrunner also went to tease the prospect of more instalments than that late last year:

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It's an unsurprising stance to take. Kripke's last TV series before The Boys - Supernatural - was supposed to run for five seasons, too, but ended up finishing with 15 in its back catalog.

Kripke, then, may decide that The Boys needed another season or two after its fifth instalment in order to wrap up its story. There are 72 issues of Ennis and Robertson's comics and, while the TV show has gone in its own direction with how the source material's story plays out, there's enough plot left to tell for at least three or four seasons.

Providing audiences continue to watch The Boys, though, Amazon is likely to renew arguably its biggest TV show for as long as possible, so you can bet on The Boys running for a number of seasons yet.

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Next Windows 10 update could take inspiration from... Windows 8?!

Windows 10 might just be getting a Widgets bar that takes inspiration from a part of the Windows 8 interface, namely the Charms bar.

If you’ve used Windows 8 – or are perhaps still using it, seeing as the operating system still has a couple of years of support to run – you may well be familiar with the Charms bar, which is essentially just a fancy name for a menu that appears on the right-hand side of the screen carrying some commonly used icons (like the Start button, Settings cog and so forth).

In Windows 8, this thin sidebar menu gets invoked by swiping inward from the right side of the screen – on a touchscreen, of course, but it can also be summoned by moving the mouse to a corner of the desktop on the right – and the purported Widgets bar for Windows 10 which Microsoft is apparently testing will work in the same way in that you’ll slide it out.

This is according to Windows Latest, with the website claiming that this new piece of the interface could be destined to arrive in Windows 10 this year, and if it does, it’ll be part of the big Sun Valley interface (21H2 update) makeover (which of course makes sense). Obviously, take this with an appropriate amount of skepticism…

Tenth time’s the Charm?

Rather than Charms, the bar will obviously contain widgets, although exactly what kind of widgets is anyone’s guess. Windows Latest theorizes that it could be icons such as the ‘News and interests’ feature which is currently rolling out (and is present on the taskbar – but it’s causing some trouble here and there), or perhaps widgets to access the likes of stock info or sports scores at a glance.

Desktop widgets are, of course, another throwback for Microsoft in that this concept was used way back in Windows Vista (another version of Windows that’s right up there with the popularity of Windows 8) with its desktop-based Gadgets.

The suggestion of a Charms bar-style design for this supposed new element of the interface of Windows 10 could provoke some concern, given that one of the annoyances of Windows 8 (at least for us) was that it was too easy for the bar to accidentally pop up (when using a mouse on the desktop). Until we disabled it, that is – and presumably, this will also be an option in Windows 10 if Microsoft goes this route.

There may be nothing to this report, of course, or this could simply be a concept that Microsoft is playing around with currently, and may discard down the line.

What we are expecting with Sun Valley is the extensive use of rounded corners for menus and boxes, and floating menus too, with a contemporary modern look overall (still based on Fluent Design concepts). We can expect new fonts, refreshed desktop icons, plus tweaked animations and the like as well.

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Invincible season 2: release date, cast, plot, trailer and more

Spoilers follow for Invincible season 1 and the comics.

Invincible season 2 is officially on its way. To the delight of the series' fans, Amazon Studios has been renewed its R-rated animated show for two more seasons, which means we'll be getting plenty more of Robert Kirkman and Cory Walker's superhero universe in the future.

We aren't sure when that'll be exactly, but it's nonetheless exciting to hear. We enjoyed season 1 a lot, and its finale left things open for many more instalments, so its renewal shouldn't come as much of a surprise.

If you want the lowdown on everything worth knowing about Invincible season 2, you've come to the right place. Here you'll find more information on its possible launch date, new cast members, what the source material and season 1 finale can tell us about season 2's plot and more.

A word of warning before we begin: we’re about to dive into massive spoilers for Invincible season 1 and the comics. Turn back now or you'll have both ruined for you.

Invincible season 2 release date: 2022? 

Invincible

(Image credit: Amazon Prime Video)

There’s no confirmed release date for Invincible season 2. However, we suspect that Amazon will want to exploit its popularity and get to work on it as quickly as it can

Invincible season 2 was only announced on April 29, so it’s unlikely that any major work will have begun just yet. Kirkman and the series’ executive team may have had discussions on what plot points to build the next season around (more on this later) but, from animation, art, script and voice actor perspectives we don’t think much will have been done. 

That said, sometimes animated shows get an early renewal behind-the-scenes because of the long turnaround it takes to make further episodes, so it's possible that it's further along than we think.

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With all that in mind, don’t expect to see Invincible season 2 take flight before the second half of 2022. Unless the creative team crunches on season 2 and gets it out early next year, we would be surprised to see it before summer 2022. A show like this needs as much care and attention to detail as possible, so that’s what we’re hedging our bets on.

Invincible season 2 trailer: is there one? 

Invincible

(Image credit: Amazon Prime Video)

Not yet, but that's because it's too early. Once it becomes available, we’ll let you know.

Invincible season 2 cast: who is returning? 

Invincible

(Image credit: Amazon Studio)

No casting confirmations have been made for Invincible season 2, but we’d expect season 1’s main players to return. That includes: 

  • Steven Yeun as Mark Grayson/Invincible
  • J.K. Simmons as Nolan Grayson/Omni-Man
  • Sandra Oh as Debbie Grayson
  • Zazie Beetz as Amber Bennett
  • Gillian Jacobs as Samantha Eve Wilkins/Atom Eve
  • Andrew Rannells as William Clockwell
  • Walton Goggins as Cecil Stedman
  • Jason Mantzoukas as Rex Sloan/Rex Splode
  • Ross Marquand as Rudy Conners, Kursk and Bi-Plane
  • Mark Hamill as Art Rosenbaum
  • Khary Payton as Markus Grimshaw/Black Samson
  • Malese Jow as Kate Cha/Dupli-Kate
  • Grey Griffin as Shrinking Rae and Amanda (Monster Girl's human form)
  • Kevin Michael Richardson as Monster Girl/the Mauler Twins
  • Seth Rogen as Allen the Alien
  • Mahershala Ali as Titan

It’s possible that we may see other voice actors reprise their roles outside of the cast above, too. Zachary Quinto had voiced Robot, but it’s unclear if his voice talents will be needed for future seasons. As we see in season 1, Robot is the artificial host hoby of Rudy Conners, an individual whose genetic defects mean he’s unable to live outside of his saline tank. With Rudy’s consciousness being transferred into his new clone body in season 1 episode 7, Ross Marquand has taken over vocal duties for Rudy. 

As such, it’s unclear if Quinto is needed to reprise his role in season 2. Robot has a big role to play in the comics, but we don’t know if those events will be part of season 2, season 3 or beyond.

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Other voice actors who may return include Chris Diamantopoulos (Doc Seismic), Fred Tatasciore (Kill Cannon), Clancy Brown (Damien Darkblood), Jeffrey Donovan (Machine Head), Ezra Miller (D.A. Sinclair) and Michael Dorn (Battle Beast and Thokk). Kirkman has hinted at some of their returns (more on this below) so it’ll be interesting to see who is back for season 2.

As for new cast members, Kirkman revealed that he’d love for some of The Walking Dead TV series’ cast to show up in future seasons. Yeun, Marquand, Laurie Cohan, Michael Cudlitz, Sonequa Martin-Green and Lennie James have all appeared in various roles already, but Kirkman wants more Walking Dead actors to lend their talents to the animated show.

Speaking to ComicBook.com, Kirkman said: "I can't think of an actor on The Walking Dead I wouldn't want to work with again. It's an amazing group of actors. Andrew Lincoln, Danai Gurira, Norman Reedus, Melissa McBride, Jeffrey Dean Morgan...there's not really anyone I wouldn't want to bring in." 

Invincible season 2 plot: what can the comics tease?

Invincible

(Image credit: Amazon Prime Video)

The comic series is a fun but at-times confusing one. There are many directions that season 2 could go in, but we already have an idea of what the next instalment could entail. This is based on the season 1 finale and some hints that the official Invincible Twitter account has already dropped.

First, let’s look at Invincible episode 8. Mark, aka Invincible, and the Guardians of the Globe are all that now stands between Viltrum’s invasion of Earth. Omni-Man was supposed to conquer the planet for the Viltrumite Empire but, after realizing that he couldn’t kill Mark and, by proxy, enslave humanity for his people, he tearfully heads out into space for an unknown destination.

Season 2 is certain to pick up this plot thread. Mark will be tasked with keeping Earth safe from the Viltrumites and, in turn, help the Coalition of Planets halt their universe-wide expansion. Mark already knows that a Viltrumite fleet is on its way thanks to Allen the Alien’s warning. The latter has a big part to play in the comics from this point on, so if they’re anything to go by, Mark and Allen’s friendship will only grow stronger from here on out.

As an extension of that, we should find out where Omni-Man/Nolan has gone. In the comics, Nolan flies off to invade another planet, which he hopes will act as recompense - with the Viltrum Empire - for deserting his posting on Earth. There’s a lot more for the TV series to cover regarding Mark and Nolan’s relationship, which is also covered extensively in the comics. We’ll be here forever if we dive too deep into this father-son bond so, for now, we’ll say we hope to see some of J.K. Simmons’ Nolan next season.

If nothing else, we’ll definitely be entering cosmic territory in season 2, so expect stranger worlds, weirder characters and a universe-spanning plot to translate from page to screen.

The season 1 finale also teased other potential story beats for its successor, too. We should get a continuation of the Sequids storyline, which didn’t get a proper ending in season 1. Here, we know that a Martian has infiltrated Earth after he traded places with one of the human astronauts. In tandem to that, the astronaut who was left behind on Mars is now being controlled by the Sequids, which could spell bad news for Earth if this parasitic race charts a course for the blue planet.

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We may also see Titan and Battle Beast’s stories fleshed out in more detail. The last time we saw the duo, they had taken over Machine Head’s criminal organization and teleported away from Earth respectively. Their tales continue in the comics, and Kirkman has already alluded to fan favorite Battle Beast getting more screen time in Amazon’s adaptation. The Flaxans, too, look like they'll return, despite Omni-Man's rampage across their home planet in episode 2.

One interesting tidbit is new story elements that didn’t make it into Invincible’s comic run. In a chat with Beyond the Trailer, Kirkman revealed that he hoped to include storylines in the TV show that he couldn’t fit into the graphic novels when he was writing them. One example that Kirkman gives concerns Damien Darkblood, who was banished back to Hell by Cecil Stedman in episode 4, but it’s unclear if this will form part of season 2.

Finally, Kirkman himself has revealed more of where season 2’s plot could go - and it could include arguably Mark’s biggest nemesis from the comics. We’ll refrain from spoiling that reveal, or much of the graphic novels’ exploration of time travel or alternate dimensions, here. If you’re not fussed about hearing comic and potential season 2 spoilers, though, you can see why Kirkman says in the tweet below.

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Invincible season 2: how many other seasons it get?

Invincible

(Image credit: Amazon Studios)

We don’t know. In total, there are 144 Invincible comics, which spanned 15 years of Kirkman’s career. While the TV adaptation altered the order of certain plot points for season 1, the first eight episodes only covered the first 23 issues. If a similar trajectory is maintained for future seasons, Amazon Prime’s Invincible series would finish up at around the season 7 or 8 mark.

According to Kirkman, though, there could be more or less than that. Speaking to ScreenRant after season 1 ended, he said that the series’ creative team has a “rough roadmap for where things from the comics will fall”. Additionally, Kirkman told Inverse that he “could see it going for five… seven… even 10 years. Maybe we run out of comic books and… we do 100 seasons.”

Of course, that last number is Kirkman being excited about his own property, but we could certainly see Invincible running for at least five seasons. If audiences want to see more, Amazon would be silly not to continue renewing the animated series. After all, it’s had huge success with its live-action adaptation of The Boys, so Invincible could follow a similar path and make Amazon Prime Video the go-to streamer for R-rated comic book content.

Invincible season 1 is currently available to stream in its entirety on Amazon Prime Video.

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Lord of the Rings on Amazon: release date, cast, plot and more

The Lord of the Rings is making the jump from theaters to the small screen. That's right, a live-action TV series based on J.R.R. Tolkien's fantastical world is coming to Amazon Prime Video in collaboration with the Tolkien estate.

We've already been treated to two film trilogies - one is better than the other, admittedly - but this is the first time that a live-action TV show based on Tolkien's literary universe has been attempted. While its launch is still someway off, there's plenty of information available online about its cast, production, potential plot, setting and more to keep you occupied.

The latest information drop, from a Twitter fan account, claims that production on Lord of the Rings season 1 will end sooner than expected. Whether this is the case remains to be seen, but it's interesting to hear nonetheless. You'll have to read on to find out more about this, though.

That's not all we've covered. Below, you'll find different sections relating to the most important news and rumors out there, including a possible release date, other casting news and more.

Cut to the chase

  • What is it? Amazon's TV adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-Earth novel series
  • Where can I watch it? Amazon Prime Video
  • When will it be released? Probably 2021
  • What did Amazon pay for Lord of the Rings? $250 million for the rights alone – and that's before you enter production
  • Are the Lord of the Rings movies on Amazon Prime? Yes

Lord of the Rings on Amazon release date: 2022?

The Lord of the Rings

(Image credit: New Line Cinema / WingNut Films)

At the moment, there isn't one. Filming is already underway, however, and has been since February 2020 (per Stuff.co.nz). Of course, production on the series hasn't been without its issues. Stuntwoman Elissa Cadwell was injured just days into filming the first tow episodes, while the Covid-19 pandemic caused production to shut down in New Zealand in March 2020 (h/t New Zealand Herald).

In July 2020, New Zealand government minister Phil Twyford granted exemptions to seven film and TV productions. This allowed cast and crew members to enter the country - during the pandemic - while its borders remained closed to non-New Zealanders. The Lord of the Rings was one such project, and pre-production recommenced in July 2020 (h/t Stuff.co.nz). Filming resumed in late September, according to Deadline, with principal photography starting up again in January following a two-break Christmas break (h/t New Zealand Herald).

Wayne Che Yip is currently leading filming on the TV show after multiple outlets, including Variety, revealed that the Hunters director had been brought on board. Yip will direct four of the series' eight episodes, with the British-Chinese helmer following J.A. Bayona in the directorial hot seat. Bayona directed the series' first two instalments, including the pilot episode, and production on these wrapped on December 23 (h/t ComicBook.com).

Another recent directorial addition is Charlotte Brändström. The Swedish-French director, whose credits include Netflix’s The Witcher and Jupiter’s Legacy, as well as Amazon’s The Man in the High Castle, has joined up with production in New Zealand to direct two of season 1’s episodes.

Speaking after the announcement, Brändström said: “I’m very excited to be guided through Middle-earth by J.D.’s and Patrick’s vision and immerse myself in the iconic world of J.R.R. Tolkien. It’s a great privilege to be in New Zealand to work with Amazon Studios’ outstanding ensemble of creative talents. There are countless things still to see in Middle-earth, and great works to do.” 

Check out Brändström's tweet on the announcement below:

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With principal photography still ongoing in New Zealand, then, we shouldn't expect Amazon's Lord of the Rings series to arrive anytime soon. If filming wraps within the next few months, it's possible that the TV show could land in Q4 2021. 

It would be well-timed, on Amazon's part, if its Lord of the Rings series arrived for the winter TV schedule. It'll be 20 years since The Fellowship of the Ring movie arrived in theaters on December 10, so lining up the Lord of the Rings' TV premiere for that date would be a lovely touch.

All of this depends on how long the filmmaking process will take, though, and whether reshoots will be necessary. Just recently, Australian actor Tom Budge left the TV show after Amazon Studios decided to go in a different direction with his character. If there are other adjustments needed during filming, we could see the series further delayed, which would push its release date back.

You can check out Budge's Instagram post on the news below:

A post shared by Tom Budge (@tombudgeofecal)

A photo posted by on

Morfydd Clark, who will portray a young Galadriel in Amazon's Lord of the Rings, also spoke to Esquire about her involvement in Amazon's adaptation recently. Clark explained that she would be filming in New Zealand for "a few months" before being able to return home. Clark also seemingly admitted that she was locked in for five seasons of Amazon's production, which tallies with reports that Amazon want this to be a long-running TV series.

Finally, that 2022 release could be on track if a new leak is to be believed. According to the Fellowship of Fans Twitter account, principal photography on season 1 is due to end on July 30.

This is a week earlier than the series' initial August 6 wrap date, but only takes the main run of filming into account. Reshoots may be necessary if the editing of certain episodes don't flow well but, as of right now, it seems that Amazon's Lord of the Rings is in the final stretch of filming.

Check out the tweet below and make your own minds up:

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Lord of the Rings on Amazon cast: who is playing who?

amazon's lord of the rings

(Image credit: Warner Bros)

A series on this scale needs a huge cast, and Amazon's Lord of the Rings ensemble is absolutely stacked. 

There are currently 35 actors currently listed as appearing in the TV show, according to the official casting page (Budge is still there despite having departed the project). You can check out who will be appearing in Amazon's TV adaptation on that page, and then read on to find out which role each actor is believed to be inhabiting.

According to Variety, Morfydd Clark (Saint Maud) has been cast as a younger version of Galadriel. Lord of the Rings fans will know that the powerful elf was played by Cate Blanchett in the Lord of the Rings film trilogy. As this series is set during the Second Age, though, Galadriel will be younger in Amazon's TV show.

Another role that we're fairly certain of is Simon Merrells. According to the actor's biography page on the Warring and McKenna management agency website, Merrells (Good Omens) will be playing an original character called Trevyn.

However, there have been rumors surrounding the identities of other actors' roles. In July 2019, The Hollywood Reporter claimed that Markella Kavenagh (The Cry) had signed on to play a character called Tyra, while a December 2020 Deadline report suggested that Lloyd Owen (Monarch of the Glen) would portray someone known as Loda. Robert Aramayo, who played a young Ned Stark in Game of Thrones, is believed to have replaced Will Poulter as Beldor, one of the TV show's main heroes (h/t Deadline).

Joseph Mawle, who played Benjen Stark in Game of Thrones, is also thought to have been cast as the series antagonist Oren (h/t Deadline). However, it's unclear if this character has ties to Sauron - more on him later - or if he'll be a supporting villain. Other series regulars, according to an official Amazon's Lord of the Rings Twitter thread, include General Hospital's Nazanin Boniadi, and Welsh theater actor Owain Arthur.

Additionally, Amazon Studios announced 20 cast members who would play supporting roles in the Lord of the Rings TV show last December (h/t Deadline). British comedian-actor Sir Lenny Henry, Years and Years' Maxim Baldry, Divinity's Maxine Cunliffe, A Discovery of Witches' Trystan Gravelle, and Power's Cynthia Addai-Robinson.

One thing that's definitely certain is that we won't see the likes of Frodo, Sam or Aragorn in this adaptation. For reasons you'll read further down this page, these characters were born in Middle-Earth's Third Age, which places the show outside of their timelines. If you're expecting anything other than a cameo from any of the film trilogy's hobbits or men, you'll be sorely disappointed.

There are key Second Age players, including elven High King Gil-galad, elven smith Celebrimbor, dwarf King Durin III, and Numenorian King Elendil, who haven't had their castings revealed yet either. It's likely that these individuals will be part of the announced cast but, once we have confirmation, we'll update this section.

Lord of the Rings on Amazon plot: what is the story about?

On this front, we have more concrete news. Taking to Twitter in January, TheOneRing.net uploaded the synopsis that Amazon Studios released just weeks into the New Year. You can see the full synopsis in the tweet below:

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Obviously, the synopsis doesn't dive into any character reveals or heavy plot points, but there's enough here to go on for now.

Amazon's Lord of the Rings will be set during Middle-Earth's Second Age, which lasted for nearly 3,500 years and ended with Sauron's eventual defeat at the hands of the alliance between men and elves. This is the battle that opened Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, so it's possible that we may see this adapted again at some point in the Amazon series.

Judging by Amazon's synopsis, however, that will be some way off if it does appear. There's lots of Middle-Earth history that Amazon's Lord of the Rings could cover, and we know that we'll be seeing live-action debuts for new areas of Tolkien's world in the TV show.

It would be amazing for audiences to visit the likes of Numenor, Lindon and Eregion, and seeing Barad-dur being built - as well as the proper forging of the One Ring - would be awesome call backs to the source material and Peter Jackson's Lords of the Rings trilogy. 

While we wait for more news on the story front, we have also seen a map of what Middle-Earth looked like during the Second Age. You can check out the image, which was uploaded to the official Amazon Lord of the Rings Twitter account, below:

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Amazon is reportedly committed to producing five seasons of its Lord of the Rings series, according to a 2018 IGN report. Per a GameSpot article in November 2019, only two of those season have currently been greenlit. 

Future instalments will seemingly depend on the Tolkien estate, too, with an Engadget article from 2019 quoting Tolkien scholar Tom Shippey as saying that the author's estate has the right to veto anything that strays too far from Middle-Earth's lore.

With Amazon having to stick to much of the Second Age's lore, then, we should see how Sauron returns and almost ends up ruling over Middle-Earth. The Lord of the Rings' big bad has a huge role in how the Second Age plays out, so we can expect to see his rise to power again and the eons-spanning fallout after he tries to enslave men, dwarves, and elves with the Rings of Power.

Another element of Amazon's adaptation is that it'll be more adult than some fans have envisaged. According to TheOneRing.net, Amazon hired a well-known New Zealand intimacy coordinator - Jennifer Ward-Lealand - back in October 2020. 

It's unclear what level of intimacy Ward-Lealand has been hired for, but some Tolkien fans have already voiced their displeasure over Ward-Lealand's hiring. Why? Well, intimacy - as an industry term - usually refers to nudity or sex scenes. Think along the lines of HBO's adaptation of Game of Thrones and you'll get the idea. 

If, and it's a big if as we don't know Amazon's plan for its adaptation, nudity is a part of the company's Lord of the Rings series, you can expect it to receive a high age rating when it finally airs.

Lord of the Rings on Amazon cost: how much will it be to make?

Amazon bought the rights to the Lord of the Rings TV show for $250 million in November 2017 (h/t Deadline). If Amazon completes its five-season run, it'll be expected that the entire production will have cost $1 billion, according to The Hollywood Reporter. This would make Amazon's Lord of the Rings the most expensive series of all-time.

That $1 billion mark is moving closer to reality, if not more, too. As New Zealand-based publication Stuff recently revealed, season 1 of the show will reportedly cost $650m New Zealand dollars to produce. Converting that into US$, Amazon's Lord of the Rings season 1 will cost upwards of $465 million.

However, it turns out that Amazon Studios will get a portion of its production costs knocked off the bill by the New Zealand government. Reuters has reported that Amazon is getting an extra five per cent from the nation's Screen Production Grant due to the jobs and work it has generated for the country's economy. This means that Amazon Studios is eligible to receive a rebate of NZ$162 million (US$116 million) from the New Zealand government - funds that will reduce Amazon's financial outlay for season 1, at the very least.

Amazon Studios is working alongside HarperCollins and New Line Cinema - the latter helped produced both film trilogies - as well as the Tolkien estate. It's unclear, though, if New Line is helping to pay for production costs.

Lord of the Rings on Amazon crew: who is involved?

amazon's lord of the rings

(Image credit: Amazon)

As well as Yip, Bayona and Brändström, key members of the production team include show creators J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay. The two writers have been on board since July 2018 (h/t The Hollywood Reporter) and are also executively producing the series.

Other executive producers include Bayone, Lindsay Weber, Callum Greene, Jason Cahill, and Gennifer Hutchinson. Kate Hawley is leading costume design on the series, while concept artist John Howe - one the film's chief conceptual designers - is also part of the crew.

One person who hasn't returned for Amazon's adaptation is Peter Jackson. The director of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies had been tapped by Amazon, but ultimately declined to get involved. In a 2018 Metro UK article, Jackson revealed that he and his partners were happy to look over scripts for the TV show if necessary, before adding that he "wished them [Amazon] all the best" with their adaptation. 

Around the same time, Jackson also told Fandom that he "would hope to just be able to go into a Tolkien story and enjoy it like an audience member, which I’ve never been able to do". Jackson will get his wish, then, when Lord of the Rings lands exclusively on Amazon Prime Video in the future.

Finally, Howard Shore - who scored all six Lord of the Rings movies - has revealed that he hasn't been contacted about writing the music for Amazon's TV show. Back in January in an interview with Observer.com, the composer admitted that he would "consider it" if the streaming giant approached him, but we'll have to wait and see if there's movement on this front.

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